How a Bag of Free Groceries Helps Lorette Make It Through the Month

Meet Lorette, a neighbor who relies on AfricActive, a Food Bank partner agency, in order to put milk, eggs, and groceries on her table.

For many families across Los Angeles County, a single unexpected bill can mean the difference between a full refrigerator and an empty one. That’s the reality Lorette faces every month, and it’s why she counts on her local food distribution to help her get by.

Lorette attends the AfricActive food distribution in Mid-City, one of the hundreds of Los Angeles Regional Food Bank partner agencies throughout LA County. Here, she receives essential food items that help put food on the table and helps ease her household budget.

“Sometimes I have to pay my bills, and I’m low on money,” Lorette shared. “I can’t get milk sometimes, no eggs. I come out here and get the eggs and milk. It helps a lot. It really does.”

For Lorette, the distribution isn’t just about food, it’s about relief. It’s one less thing to worry about in a month full of hard choices between rent, utilities, and the pantry.

Lorette’s experience reflects what so many of our neighbors face every day. The cost of living in Los Angeles County, from groceries to rent and utilities, continues to strain household budgets, and even households with multiple budgets struggle to make ends meet, choosing between paying a bill and buying food.

That’s where food assistance steps in. Through our network of partner agencies, like AfricActive, the Food Bank helps put food on the table for an average of one million individuals across LA County every month, from kids to seniors, and neighbors like Lorette who just need a little extra support to get through a hard stretch.

If you would like to be part of the great community that makes a positive difference in the lives of neighbors across LA County, consider donating to the Food Bank or volunteering at one of our warehouses or partner agencies.